


we could be more than just part-time lovers

by tmylm



Series: the wreck we made [2]
Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, First Dates, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23631553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmylm/pseuds/tmylm
Summary: A series of requested one-shots to fill in some blanks fromThe Wreck We Madeuniverse.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Series: the wreck we made [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1701175
Comments: 28
Kudos: 76





	we could be more than just part-time lovers

**Author's Note:**

> Flashback to 2012, to Beca and Chloe’s first official date. Set after chapter 2 of the main fic.
> 
> Chapter title from Avicii ft. Aloe Blacc's _SOS_.

#  _Beca — 2012._

Beca is not in the business of casual, spur of the moment hookups. In fact, in her twenty years on earth so far, she has never actually had one... Not up until last week, anyway. Admittedly, Beca can be a bit of a recluse at times—it is not that she doesn’t _like_ people (okay, so sometimes she doesn’t), but more so that she tends to thrive better alone. Beca wants to make music. She wants to produce music, she wants to write music; all of these things are things she can do alone.

So, no, Beca is not in the business of casual, spur of the moment hookups, nor does she really know what to do with them as a result.

It has been almost one week since her failed blind date, the one set up by Amy without Beca’s permission, but that she’d stupidly attended anyway. It has been almost one week since a bubbly, mysterious redhead rescued her from her own thoughts of self-pity, almost one week since Beca learned that Megan with the hypnotizing eyes and obnoxiously cute laugh was actually named Chloe—Beale, Beca has found out since—and it has been almost one week since the last time Beca spent a day without thoughts of Chloe Beale swirling through her mind.

Beca doesn’t know if it is normal, the fact that she has spent at least some part of each day since Friday thinking about Chloe. Do people do that? Does the person they slept with meaninglessly linger on their mind for days afterwards? Honestly, Beca doesn’t know. She does know, however, that she really would like to see Chloe again.

She also knows that she has spent almost a week now staring at a blank text message screen, wondering how to strike up casual conversation without seeming totally desperate. Beca realizes she should’ve probably protested a little harder when Chloe had refused to take her number.

“There,” Chloe had said with a look of pride on her face and the sound of finality in her voice, handing Beca’s phone back over. “Don’t call me.”

A dark brow had arched at that, a mixture of confusion and amusement stretching onto Beca’s face. “ _Don’t_ call you?” She had paused. “Oh, you’d prefer a text.”

Chloe had shrugged a shoulder, head shaking gently. “I mean, you can call me at some point. But don’t do it right now.” Following the look of further confusion to follow on Beca’s face, Chloe had simply grinned the same grin that had dazzled Beca so easily the night prior, before continuing. “I don’t want your number yet. I’m leaving the ball in your court.”

If Beca really thinks about it, she can understand it. Waking up the morning after their impromptu night together, alcohol now out of her system, Beca had been much quieter than the previous night. Chloe had been just as loud and full-on as Beca remembers her being, but Beca had withdrawn into herself a little bit, just like she always does. It is really nothing out of the ordinary for her, but she can’t blame Chloe for not knowing that. Chloe doesn’t _know_ her, after all. The same way Beca doesn’t know Chloe.

So, Chloe’s idea for Beca to be the one to make the move, to see if she _actually_ wanted to do anything with Chloe again, had been her way of seeing if Beca was still interested while sober, and Beca understands it.

But, man, is she bad at starting conversations. Especially conversations like _this_.

It is now Wednesday, however, and Beca has decided that she wants to spend Friday night with Chloe—she’d decided it Saturday morning, truth be told—but the longer she leaves it before reaching out, the less likely it is that Chloe will be available. Something tells Beca that Chloe’s social life is much more active than her own.

Though, Beca doesn’t know what to say. Every text she starts up sounds stupid, and she decides once it is too late that she really, really hates the one she has sent.

**Beca  
** _Hey, it’s Beca_  
_From the bar  
_ _Did I leave my earrings at your place?_

God, she thinks as she stares helplessly at her tired looking reflection in the mirror, gaze on all three sets of lobe piercings she has very much _not_ left anywhere—much less Chloe Beale’s house—how fucking lame can she be?

It takes approximately three minutes for Chloe to respond, but Beca spends each second of those three minutes wondering if she perhaps left it too late, if maybe she has missed her chance.

When her phone buzzes, Beca almost drops it.

**Chloe  
** _Hi Beca from the bar :)_  
_What are you doing right now?_

Beca doesn’t even register the fact that Chloe has totally breezed over her stupid earring excuse. She simply sinks back onto her mattress, the one she’d been pacing in front of up until now, and tilts her head slightly as she types out a response.

**Beca  
** _Nothing just in my dorm_  
_What are you doing?_

(God, Beca’s conversational skills leave _much_ to be desired.)

Having used Apple’s new FaceTime feature a total of three times so far, each time being in conversation with her mom—each attempt having failed miserably thanks to her mother’s self-proclaimed stance as a technophobe—it confuses Beca for a second when her own face pops up in the center of her screen. A glance to the corner shows Chloe’s name, and Beca’s eyes widen as she realizes what is going on.

Flustered, she sits up a little straighter, then takes a second to run her fingers through her wavy hair, before attempting to look as cool and casual as possible as she hits accept.

Chloe’s smiling face comes into view a matter of seconds later.

“Beca from the bar,” Chloe grins in greeting. The video is a little distorted, audio lagging slightly, but Beca is instantly captivated by those same eyes to have pulled her in just last week. She can’t help but smile in response, in fact.

“Hey,” Beca greets coolly, brushing a chunk of dark hair behind her ear. “Uh, what’s up?”

“Not much,” Chloe chirps, though she pauses soon after, eyes squinting toward the camera. Beca just watches her, wondering what she is doing. “Nice earrings.”

Instantly, Beca freezes. Her throat clears as she less than subtly sweeps her hair over her ear again, though she knows it is a little late for that. “Uh, yeah, thanks,” she all but stammers, gaze moving away from the screen. “I, uh—”

Chloe’s melodic giggle cuts her off, and Beca’s face twists in defeat. She knows her cheeks have reddened without even having to look at her own reflection. “Okay, that was a shitty excuse,” she caves, shooting an apologetic look toward the camera.

“Yeah, it wasn’t great,” Chloe agrees with a light chuckle. In spite of her embarrassment, Beca cannot help the amused expression creeping onto her face to mirror Chloe’s. Chloe seems to be sitting at a desk, though Beca cannot properly tell. She sinks back more comfortably in her seat, eyeing Beca for a moment. “So, why’d you really text me?”

If Beca thought she had been at a loss where texting Chloe that she wanted to see her is concerned, she realizes it was nothing in comparison to this. Chloe can literally _see_ her; Beca is in way over her head. “Uh,” she pauses, attempting to feign a little confidence, “Why do you think I texted you?”

Chloe’s head tilts slightly. “For your earrings, right?”

For a person as truly awkward as Beca Mitchell, it really must say something about the type of person Chloe Beale is, the fact that she can cause Beca to relax back immediately, and to even _laugh_ at her own stupidity. “Stop,” she chuckles, eyes rolling playfully. She notes Chloe’s bright grin in response.

“I actually didn’t think I was going to hear from you,” Chloe admits, expression softening some, the same way her voice does. “I’m glad I did.”

It is easy—incredibly so, in fact—talking to Chloe. It is really not something Beca is used to, she is not used to so easily connecting with somebody, especially not somebody so wildly different to her. But it is easy with Chloe, so much so that when Chloe eventually asks with so much ease and confidence that it catches Beca off guard for a second, “So when do I get to see you again?”, Beca’s hesitance is minimal.

She hangs up with her teeth sinking into her bottom lip to bite back an obnoxious smile, and the promise of those Friday night plans she has been hoping for all week.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, Beca really does not go on many dates. When she does, she tends to find them awkward, or finds that she is less excited about them by the time it comes to actually going than she had been when initially agreeing to it. Plus, the handful of dates she _has_ been on have turned out to be disastrous.

Normally, Beca cannot think of anything less enthralling than the idea of going out to dinner, especially for a first date. The thought of everything that could potentially go wrong, beginning with Beca spilling whatever she chooses to eat down herself, is enough to totally put her off.

Of course, when Chloe had suggested they go to dinner, Beca had eagerly accepted, and finds that she is still excited for their date, even though it is less than two hours away.

(By now, normally Beca would’ve totally made up an excuse to get out of it.)

So, when her phone buzzes with an incoming text message from Chloe, Beca’s heart sinks. _Of course_ Chloe is going to be the one to bail—Beca is punching way above her weight here, after all.

**Chloe  
** _I have a dilemma_

While Beca is disappointed, the pessimist inside her is also not at all surprised. Still, she finds that there is a frown on her face as she responds lamely to Chloe’s text.

**Beca  
** _Yeah?_

**Chloe  
** _I have my period_

Yep, Beca has totally used that excuse before, too. She proceeds to respond halfheartedly.

**Beca  
** _Maybe some other time then_

**Chloe  
** _What, are you afraid of blood or something?_

Beca’s brows, currently half-penciled, knit tightly together as she stares at her screen.

**Beca  
** _No_  
_I just figured you wanted to rearrange_

( _Or totally blow me off_ , she refrains from adding.)

**Chloe  
** _I mean, that’s an option_

Beca’s lips purse as she stares at the exchange, watching the typing bubble pop up again before she even gets the chance to respond. Beca doesn’t even realize she is holding her breath until Chloe’s next text message comes through. When it does, she feels her shoulders easily relax.

**Chloe  
** _I want to see you though  
_ _My dilemma is that I’m in pain and I don’t really want to go anywhere, but I still want to see you  
_ _Would it be super lame if we just hung out at my house?_

At that, Beca’s teeth sink into her bottom lip. Dinner had been Chloe’s idea. If it had been up to Beca, she would’ve suggested hanging out at one of their places—probably Chloe’s, since Beca’s ‘place’ is literally a dorm room—to begin with. So, as bad as she feels for Chloe and her period pains, she cannot help but feel somewhat elated by this turn of events. In fact, she texts back perhaps a little too eagerly.

**Beca  
** _No, definitely not lame_

**Chloe  
** _Alright, good_  
_I have stuff for us to do, and we can order pizza or something_

Honestly, Beca doesn’t really care what they do, so she chooses not to even question it.

**Beca  
** _Sounds good_  
_You want me to bring anything? Advil?_

**Chloe  
** _No, I have plenty_  
_I’m not gonna get dressed up or anything though, so I’m ready whenever you are_

Minus Chloe’s pain—periods totally fucking suck—the whole exchange is music to Beca’s ears.

* * *

Earlier, Beca’s own dilemma had been what she was going to wear. She doesn’t really do fancy clothes; she is more of a jeans and tee-shirt with a flannel to accessorize kind of girl, but the restaurant Chloe had picked had seemed kind of upscale if its website was anything to go by. Beca had selected a dress for the evening, one she knew she was not going to be comfortable in, so she finds that she can relax once she is able to pull a _normal_ outfit from her closet.

Dressed, entirely unsurprisingly, in a pair of skinny jeans, a casually tucked in gray shirt, and of course her trusty leather jacket, Beca feels much more at ease as she heads, for the second time now, for Chloe’s house. The first time, Beca had assumed it was a sorority house—she could totally see Chloe and her friends as sorority girls—but after a little research, Beca has learned that it is… Well, _not_ a sorority house, though in truth, she doesn’t know exactly what it is.

Beca has heard of the Barden Bellas before; they are one of the four a cappella groups on campus. She never realized they were legit enough to have their own house, though. But Beca doesn’t question it, and instead focuses on calming the butterflies swirling through her stomach as she approaches the front door.

Apparently, Chloe really wasn’t kidding about not dressing up, Beca realizes as she answers the door in pajama shorts and an oversized hoodie emblazoned with the Barden Bellas logo. Her face lights up as her gaze lands on Beca, though, and Beca cannot help her sheepish smile in response.

“You made it,” Chloe grins—as if Beca would’ve even considered blowing her off.

“I did,” Beca says brightly, ignoring the way her insides continue to shake with unrelenting nerves.

“Good,” Chloe beams, stepping aside to motion Beca into the house. “You look pretty.”

“I do?” Beca questions, glancing down momentarily at her very casual outfit. Chloe closes the door behind her with a short nod of her head. “I mean, thanks.” Beca motions toward Chloe’s ensemble. “So do you.”

“Thank you, I worked really hard on this outfit,” Chloe teases, wasting no time in leading the way through the house. She is decidedly much calmer than Beca already.

In spite of her nerves, Beca finds that she still does not want to run. If anything, those nerves are mixed with excitement. In fact, she would go so far as to say they are overpowered by it, and Beca doesn’t know for sure, but she feels like that may be a pretty good sign.

“Um, are your roommates home?” Beca asks conversationally as she trails along behind Chloe. The house, despite her only being here once before, is already pretty familiar to her. Beca knows already that they are headed in the direction of the kitchen.

“It’s Friday night,” Chloe says with a wrinkled brow and a small giggle. She holds open the kitchen door to motion Beca in first, “Of course they’re not home.”

“Oh…” Beca nods slowly, realizing that _of course_ normal college kids have plans on Friday nights. Well, normal college kids and Amy; Beca is sure she would take the implication of normalcy as a whole offense. “Right, duh.”

Chloe flashes Beca an easy smile, before shuffling around her to reach into the next cupboard over. Beca doesn’t really know what to do, so she just stands, kind of awkwardly, with her back to the counter, and tries not to make it too obvious that she is watching Chloe. Actually, she’s studying her. Even in her very casual outfit and what Beca thinks is zero makeup, Chloe is even prettier than Beca remembers. It is almost slightly intimidating.

“Can I ask you something?” Chloe says in a casual tone, stacking a couple mixing bowls down onto the counter. Her gaze flickers toward Beca’s face, and Beca nods politely in response. Chloe’s head tilts slightly, her long curls flowing over one shoulder, and her voice softens some. “Why do you seem so nervous?”

At that, Beca outwardly grimaces. She shoots Chloe a somewhat meek, apologetic look. “Is it that obvious?”

Fortunately, despite the fact that Chloe has just outright pointed it out, she doesn’t seem to be judging. Instead, she offers Beca a comforting smile. “It is. But it’s just me, Beca,” she says in the most reassuring tone.

“Right,” Beca chuckles awkwardly, hand moving to the back of her neck. “That’s kind of the part that makes me nervous.”

“It shouldn’t,” Chloe shakes her head gently, voice easily softening again. “I just want to spend some time with you. Not drunk this time,” she adds with a small smirk.

Something about Chloe’s expression is incredibly comforting, and Beca feels her shoulders start to relax in response, tension beginning to drain from her body easily. “I know. I do, too.”

* * *

Of course, while she is not quite on Chloe’s level of calm and confident, Beca does begin to relax pretty quickly. It is much easier to find Chloe less intimidating when she announces that they are going to be baking cookies, and while Beca responds with an amused look and slightly raised brows, she cannot help but find the idea endearingly adorable.

“Is this, like, a special recipe or something?” Beca asks, tipping the final cup of flour into the mixing bowl. Chloe has given her a dorky floral apron to wear over her clothes, but somehow Beca has already managed to get flour in a chunk of her hair.

“Mm, kind of,” Chloe shrugs, reaching out a hand to dust off the flour from the middle of Beca’s brunette curl. Beca flashes her an appreciative smile, and thinks that while her apron might be totally lame, Chloe looks adorable in hers. “I just always make them whenever I don’t feel so good. It cheers me up,” Chloe explains thoughtfully. “What’s your feel better ritual?”

“The Little Mermaid,” Beca responds without thought. She is currently occupied with measuring out the next ingredient, but pauses as she notes the grin rising to Chloe’s lips from the corner of her eye. “Uh, I mean… You know. Singing along used to make me feel better when I was a little kid,” she shrugs, wiping off her forehead mostly for something to do with her hands. In turn, Beca somehow streaks flour across her skin, much to Chloe’s unsubtle amusement. Beca’s cheeks heat up in response to the sound of Chloe’s gentle giggle, amused smile tugging at her lips. “Oh, come on, The Little Mermaid is a classic.”

“Oh, I know that,” Chloe agrees, stepping forward to take Beca’s chin between her finger and thumb. While her grasp is gentle, Beca pauses easily, gaze drifting toward Chloe as she delicately turns Beca’s face in her direction. Beca notes the way Chloe’s sparkling gaze, already familiar, moves upward, and Beca finds that she is staring in response, so simply mesmerized already.

“Then why are you laughing?” Beca questions, her own gaze drifting downward toward Chloe’s lips for a brief second. With Chloe standing so close to her, it is difficult not to let her eyes wander, after all. She lifts them back up quickly, in time for Chloe’s line of sight to meet with her own.

“Because you’re messy,” Chloe grins, releasing Beca’s chin to instead reach up and brush the flour from her forehead. “First your hair, now your face?” The amusement is evident in Chloe’s eyes as she allows her fingers to drop from Beca’s forehead, and to instead brush a chunk of soft brown hair delicately behind Beca’s ear. In response, Beca’s teeth subtly drag in her lower lip. “Now your hair again,” Chloe states in a smaller voice, fingertips trailing slowly toward the ends of Beca’s hair.

“I’m pretty sure the hair thing is your fault this time,” Beca points out in a much quieter voice now, too. In spite of herself, in spite of the air of something entirely unknown floating around the two of them, Beca finds that she does not retreat. Instead, she just looks at Chloe— _really_ looks at her—until Chloe’s fingers have begun to softly twirl around the ends of Beca’s hair. Beca’s voice is just as small, though unsurprisingly not quite as timid, as she continues. “How are you feeling now?”

Chloe nods her head gently, gaze scanning over Beca’s face for a moment longer, before she finally drops her hand. “A little better,” Chloe says, taking a small step back. There is a soft smile on her lips, one that Beca cannot help but stare at momentarily, before she turns back toward the mixing bowl.

It is incredible really, the way her nerves seem to have dissipated within the blink of an eye.

“Maybe The Little Mermaid will work for you, too,” Beca suggests, glancing toward Chloe in search of a reaction. The idea of curling up on the couch with Chloe as they watch a movie is definitely not one that Beca minds—a thought that is entirely unlike her usually.

“Definitely,” Chloe agrees, tearing into a bag of milk chocolate chips, “We can watch after we’re done here, if you want?” Gently, she tips the open bag into the mixture Beca has already begun to stir, and Beca notes the way Chloe’s gaze moves up toward her face, despite the fact that Beca is not actively looking her way. She can see the devilish grin rising to Chloe’s lips, before she adds, “But only if you promise to perform the songs for me.”

* * *

Considering Beca really does not go on very many dates, she doesn’t have a whole host of experiences to compare this one to, but she knows that she is correct in thinking this one is perhaps the dorkiest first date she has ever been on. That is not necessarily a bad thing, of course. There is no awkward dinner conversation, no desperate need to look fancy and proper in an uncomfortable dress. It is just she and Chloe, doing something as simple as baking cookies together, and Beca doesn’t remember the last time a first date has made her feel so at ease.

As promised, once their cookies are in the oven and the timer is set, Chloe leads the way to the large living room, and instructs Beca to make herself comfortable on the couch while Chloe goes in search of her copy of The Little Mermaid—because _of course_ Chloe has a copy of The Little Mermaid.

Chloe returns quickly to the sight of Beca’s boots now removed and placed neatly beside the couch, while Beca sits with her feet curled up beneath her. Beca is surprised by how easy she finds it to make herself comfortable in someone else’s home.

There is a cream colored blanket hanging over the back of the couch, and Chloe grabs it once she has set the DVD into the player and joined Beca, covering it comfortably over both of their laps.

“Is this your favorite movie?” Chloe asks conversationally as she scoots a little closer toward Beca. Like Beca, Chloe pulls her feet up beneath her until they are disappearing under the blanket, and makes no subtlety out of the way she leans comfortably into Beca’s side. While Beca glances down at her momentarily, it takes her all of two seconds to relax, and for her arm to stick out and wind naturally around Chloe’s back. Chloe glances up at her with a comfortable smile.

“One of, I guess,” Beca shrugs, taking note of how easily their bodies slot together.

Chloe hits play on the menu, then sets the remote out of the way, before her focus seems to be entirely on Beca. Beca has a feeling the movie is probably just going to be background noise for them, though she is definitely not complaining. “So, what _is_ your favorite?”

At that, Beca's lips purse slightly in thought. It is a natural instinct for her fingers to curl comfortably around Chloe’s arm, until the tips have begun to brush delicately along smooth skin. While Beca doesn’t comment, she notices the way Chloe seems to smile softly in response. “Jurassic Park,” she finally decides with a small nod of her head.

“Really?” Chloe questions, her tone one of interest, not judgment. “Why’s that?”

“I don’t know,” Beca shrugs, fingertips still running absentmindedly over the soft skin of Chloe’s arm. “I guess I’ve just watched it a bunch of times. It was this thing my dad and I used to do,” she explains, losing herself easily in both thought and casual conversation with Chloe. “When he and my mom first separated, and I’d spend weekends at his house, he didn’t have a huge movie collection and I guess he didn’t really know how else to entertain me and my brother. So we used to just always watch Jurassic Park together.”

“Your parents are separated?” Chloe asks, her voice a little softer this time.

It is not often that Beca opens up… About anything, in fact. But more specifically about her parents divorce. Beca was a pre-teen, it was a difficult time for her, and has always been something she has blamed for her lack of faith in people. Somehow, it is easy for her to talk about with Chloe, though. Everything so far has been easy with Chloe, in fact. It is something Beca cannot ignore.

“Mhm,” Beca nods in response, “I mean, they’re divorced now. And it’s fine, you know? It’s…” she shrugs, “It happens.”

“Yeah, of course,” Chloe nods in understanding, body turning to better face Beca. Of course, she never moves from beneath Beca’s arm, and Beca finds herself tightening her hold slightly, almost as if she doesn’t want to let go. No, there is no almost… She doesn’t want to let go. “Are you still close with him? Your dad.”

Beca’s shoulder shrugs lamely. “Sure, I guess. I mean, I see him, like, all the time. He’s a professor here at Barden.”

Chloe’s brows rise in interest. “Oh yeah?”

“Mhm. English Lit,” Beca explains. She lets out a dry chuckle at that. “I guess it’s kind of his fault I’m even here. At Barden, I mean.”

Chloe’s intrigue remains evident, and despite the fact that Beca is so not good at talking about herself, she finds that she doesn’t mind. With Chloe, she doesn’t mind.

Beca learns that she is right about the movie being nothing more than background noise. Chloe keeps her talking, only pausing to go take the cookies out of the oven when the timer cuts intrusively into their conversation. She slots right back in beside Beca soon after, and even takes it upon herself to tug Beca’s arm back into place around her, something Beca cannot help but grin at.

While Chloe asks plenty of questions, Beca learns a lot about Chloe, too. She learns that, unlike Beca, Chloe is not from Georgia originally. She cannot understand why anyone would _want_ to come to Georgia, considering Beca wants nothing more to get out of there, but Chloe seems to speak highly of it.

Beca learns that, despite how different they may seem at first glance, they actually have a lot in common. Just like her, Chloe loves music—she wants to be a music teacher once she graduates—and she has a random bug tattoo, just like Beca’s. Chloe wants more tattoos, and admires Beca’s many ear piercings, something people generally seem to judge her for. Not Chloe, though. Chloe is not judgmental, Beca has learned that about her early on.

By the time the movie is over—Beca has not registered one single scene—Beca realizes she has opened up to Chloe more in two hours than she has to anybody else throughout her whole two years at Barden University. Hanging out with Chloe is like hanging out with a friend, like someone Beca has known her whole life, only there is something more to it. There is the fact that her fingers feel so comfortable as they brush gently against Chloe’s skin, and the fact that she wants to badly on more than one occasion to lean in and capture Chloe’s lips with her own, but Beca is afraid of moving too fast.

(A stupid fear, really, considering they have literally slept together already.)

A part of Beca wants to stay. She wants to stay the whole night, end it tangled up together with Chloe just like they had only a week ago, but in the interest of not moving too fast, of not treating this like the casual hookup it very well could’ve been, she eventually decides that she should leave.

While Chloe looks mildly disappointed, she also doesn’t protest. She does, however, swap out her pajama shorts for sweats, and insists on walking Beca home. The idea is kind of amusing to Beca, considering they are literally at Chloe’s house and her leaving seems a little redundant, but Beca also chooses not to protest too much; she’ll take a little extra time with Chloe, she supposes.

Especially because they both live on campus, Chloe walking Beca home is really not necessary, but Beca appreciates it regardless. The same way as she appreciates it when Chloe’s fingers brush by her own as they walk side by side, and Beca wonders for half a second if she should connect their hands, but Chloe goes ahead and does it first. It is like, somehow, they are on the same page already, and Beca still doesn’t know if this is what is supposed to happen following a random, casual hookup, but God, she is so not complaining.

“Oh man, we didn’t bring any cookies for you!” Chloe announces in horror, pausing in her tracks.

Beca chuckles in response, head shaking gently. “That’s fine. Maybe I can come by tomorrow and grab some… Better excuse than the earrings thing, right?” Her cheeks heat up at the way she mocks herself, but her grin remains in place, and Beca notes the way Chloe mirrors it.

“You know you don’t need an excuse, right?” Chloe promises in a casual tone, pad of her thumb brushing comfortingly over the back of Beca’s knuckles. “If you want to see me, you don’t need an excuse for it.”

“I don’t?” Beca questions softly, free hand rising to push a chunk of dark hair behind her ear. She catches the glimmer of Chloe’s curious eyes from the corner of her own, and sees the way Chloe gently shakes her head.

“No. I want to see you again, Beca,” Chloe says with so much confidence that Beca can’t help the way she blushes in response. “I mean, if you want to see me, too.”

“Are you kidding?” Beca asks with a somewhat incredulous look. She turns her head to better face Chloe this time. “Of course I want to.”

“Just checking,” Chloe shrugs a shoulder, though there is a satisfied smile easing onto her lips at the reassurance.

“Then I’ll come by tomorrow,” Beca nods decisively, and it is definitely not just because she wants some of the cookies they made.

“Man, you really do want to see me again, huh?” Chloe says with a devilish grin, one that has Beca playfully rolling her eyes.

“Shut up.”

The interaction pulls a soft chuckle from Chloe’s lips, and when Beca tightens her grasp on Chloe’s hand, she swears she can feel Chloe tightening hers, too.

It really doesn’t take them very long to get from the Bellas house and to Beca’s dorm building, no matter how slowly Beca attempts to walk, but once they arrive outside of the main door, Beca feels the kind of nerves she has only seen displayed in those cheesy rom-com movies so far. Those ‘should I kiss her?’ ‘Is she going to kiss me?’ nerves. It doesn’t make much sense, all things considered, but Beca can’t help herself; there is just something about Chloe Beale, something that has her hooked already. Truth be told, she really was hooked from the start.

“This is you?” Chloe questions, obviously noticing the way Beca has stopped walking.

“Yep,” Beca nods shortly. She feels like she should explain that she has a single dorm, and that she lives here by choice, but she also has a feeling that Chloe isn’t judging, so she decides to keep that to herself for now. She doesn’t want to look like she is hinting at inviting Chloe in, after all. No matter how much she would like to.

“Okay,” Chloe says with a soft smile. She gently squeezes Beca’s hand, before loosening her grasp, and Beca proceeds to do the same. Chloe stands in front of her, studying Beca’s face for a moment. “I had a lot of fun with you tonight, Beca,” she comments in a soft, sincere voice, one that has Beca practically melting. “I’m sorry we had to change our plans, though.”

“No,” Beca shakes her head quickly, “Don’t apologize. I get it. Besides, I liked that better than sitting in some stuffy restaurant.” She pauses, gaze easily scanning Chloe’s, “I liked just spending time with you.”

Chloe’s small smile in response is reassuring, it tells Beca that she feels the same way. Their hands now parted, Chloe takes a small step back, arms wrapping snugly around herself. “So, will I really see you tomorrow?” She asks, a glimmer of hope shining in her mesmerizing eyes.

“If you want to,” Beca responds easily, “I mean, I have to pick up the cookies, so.” She is joking, of course, and the way Chloe rolls her eyes fondly in response tells Beca that she knows it.

“Right,” Chloe nods, stepping forward to wrap Beca tightly into a one-armed hug. Beca is not a hugger, but she finds that she wraps her arms easily around Chloe’s middle, pulling her body closer, before both finally part, and Beca can feel her heart hammering harder than ever inside of her chest. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow,” Chloe says, taking a small step back once more.

Beca really does not make the first moves, so no matter how much she would really like to pull Chloe in again, this time to capture her lips with her own, she doesn’t. Instead, she just shoots Chloe an appreciative smile, and offers her a small nod of her head. “Thank you. For walking me home, I mean,” Beca says quietly.

Chloe responds with a short nod of her head. “Of course.” She begins to back further away. “And thank you for a great evening.”

“You, too,” Beca agrees, beginning to turn toward the door, though she sees the way Chloe finally turns away, and Beca cannot help it as she watches her leave. She also doesn’t want to seem like a total creep, though, so quickly she turns to enter the building, teeth sinking into her lower lip as she replays the dorky, perfect evening over in her mind.

God, she should’ve kissed her. The thought continues in a loop as Beca makes her way toward the elevators. She didn’t kiss her, but she should _tell_ Chloe that she wanted to. So, Beca hurriedly slips her phone from her back pocket, quickly opening up the text message thread between she and Chloe.

Before she even gets the chance to start typing, she notices the bubble signifying Chloe already is, and Beca’s brows knit slightly as she awaits the incoming message.

**Chloe**  
_I think maybe you forgot your earrings_  
_Come back outside, I have them_

The bashful chuckle Beca lets out in response is so natural. She has already begun to turn from the elevator and toward the building’s main door, gaze down on Chloe’s text messages. By the time she glances up to open the door, she sees Chloe is already standing there waiting for her, and Beca cannot help the grin that spreads onto her lips at the sight.

She has barely gotten the door open before Chloe steps forward to grasp gently onto the lapels of Beca’s leather jacket, the same way she had just last week, only this time there is something much more gentle, more delicate, about the way she tugs Beca closer, about how their lips press so comfortably against one another’s.

It’s totally goofy, just like their whole date has been, but Beca is absolutely not complaining, and she knows there is a hint of red splashed across her cheeks by the time they finally part from the small kiss that holds so much meaning.

“Okay, you can go again now,” Chloe chuckles softly, leaning in to push another chaste kiss to Beca’s lips, before finally letting go.

“What about my earrings?” Beca teases, head tilting slightly.

Chloe responds with a soft laugh, eyes rolling playfully as she begins to step back again. “Shut up. I’ll see you tomorrow, Beca.”

Beca swallows, head nodding shortly. “See you tomorrow, Chloe.”

As she watches Chloe turn to walk away for the second time, Beca cannot help but realize just how easily this girl has her pulled in already. It is both terrifying and amazing, and honestly, Beca knows there is something special about her.

In fact, there is something special between them; she can see that already.

**Author's Note:**

> If you’re reading from start to finish and want to include the additional one-shots in order, now is where [When We Go Crashing Down We Come Back Every Time](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23655799) would come in.


End file.
